5. But abstracting from these cases, wandering thoughts, in the latter sense of the word, that is, thoughts wherein our understanding wanders, from the point it has in view, are no more sinful than the motion of the blood in our veins, or of the spirits in our brain. If they arise from an infirm constitution, or from some accidental weakness or distemper, they are as innocent as it is to have a weak constitution, or a distempered body. And surely no one doubts but a bad state of nerves, a fever of any kind, and either a transient or a lasting delirium, may consist with perfect innocence. And if they should arise in a soul which is united to an healthful body, either from the natural union between the body and soul, or from any of ten thousand changes, which may occur in those organs of the body, that minister to thought: in any of these cases they are as perfectly innocent as the causes from which they spring. And so they are when they spring from the casual, involuntary associations of our ideas.
6. If our thoughts wander from the point we had in view, by means of other men, variously affecting our senses, they are equally innocent still: for it is no more a sin, to understand what I see and hear, and in many cases cannot help seeing, hearing, and understanding, than it is to have eyes and ears. “But if the devil injects wandering thoughts, are not those thoughts evil?” They are troublesome, and in that sense evil; but they are not sinful. I do not know that he spoke to our Lord with an audible voice; perhaps he spoke to his heart only, when he said, _All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me_. But whether he spoke inwardly or outwardly, our Lord doubtless understood what he said. He had therefore a thought correspondent to those words. But was it a sinful thought? We know it was not. _In him was no sin_, either in action, or word, or thought. Nor is there any sin in a thousand thoughts of the same kind, which Satan may inject into any of our Lord’s followers.
7. *It follows, that none of these wandering thoughts (whatever unwary persons have affirmed, thereby grieving whom the Lord had not grieved) are inconsistent with perfect love. Indeed if they were, then not only sharp pain, but sleep itself would be inconsistent with it: sharp pain; for whenever this supervenes, whatever we were before thinking of, it will interrupt our thinking, and of course draw our thoughts into another channel: yea, and sleep itself, as it is a state of insensibility and stupidity: and such as is generally mixt with thoughts wandering over the earth, loose, wild and incoherent. Yet certainly these are consistent with perfect love: so then are all wandering thoughts of this kind.
IV. 1. From what has been observed, it is easy to give a clear answer to the last question, What kind of wandering thoughts we may expect and pray to be delivered from?
2. From the former sort of wandering thoughts, those wherein the heart wanders from God: from all that are contrary to his will, or that leave us without God in the world, every one that is perfected in love, is unquestionably delivered. This deliverance therefore we may expect: this we may, we ought to pray for. Wandering thoughts of this kind imply unbelief, if not enmity against God. But both of these he will destroy, will bring utterly to an end. And indeed, from all sinful wandering thoughts we shall be absolutely delivered. All that are perfected in love are delivered from these; else they were not saved from sin. Men and devils will tempt them all manner of ways. But they cannot prevail over them.
♦2. With regard to the latter sort of wandering thoughts, the case is widely different. ’Till the cause is removed, we cannot in reason expect the effect should cease. But the causes or occasions of these will remain, as long as we remain in the body. So long therefore we have all reason to believe, the effects will remain also.
3. *To be more particular. Suppose a soul, however holy, to dwell in a distempered body. Suppose the brain be so throughly disordered, as that _raging madness_ follows: will not all the thoughts be wild and unconnected, as long as that disorder continues? Suppose a fever occasions that _temporary madness_, which we term a delirium, can there be any just connection of thought, ’till that delirium is removed? Yea, suppose what is called a _nervous disorder_, to rise to so high a degree, as to occasion at least a _partial madness_, will there not be a thousand wandering thoughts? And must not these irregular thoughts continue, as long as the disorder which occasions them?